Stewart is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He began his professional career with HMRC before moving to Ernst & Young and then setting up M&S with Jim Slater (now retired) in 1996. CTAs are the acknowledged tax experts in the UK and Stewart has a wealth of experience which has helped establish M&S’s reputation in this field. His commitment to continuing professional development for all our other tax and professional staff ensures that the firm is at the forefront of current tax issues and able to deliver legitimate and affordable tax planning so HMRC’s tax take from our clients is minimised. This involves implementing complex tax planning arrangements for clients and conducting specialist enquiries with HMRC. As the powers available to tax officers become ever more wide ranging, he is a robust negotiator on behalf of his clients – as HMRC will testify!
As one of the founders of the company, Stewart is determined that we maintain the levels of service and the personal touch which have been key to M&S’s success. In particular, his insistence on the need to provide progressive tax planning in easily understood formats is something that is instilled in all our professional staff.
Outside M&S, Stewart’s major interests are his family, St Johnstone FC, football coaching and voluntary work with the charity Tax Help for Older People.
Much of Catherine’s work involves advising clients on both UK and US tax matters, putting to good use her experience with Ernst & Young and time spent working for a boutique firm of Chartered Accountants. Catherine has vast experience of managing the tax affairs of employees on international assignments and has also undertaken brief secondments to London and Frankfurt. A BSc Hons in Mathematics, she is a member of the Association of Tax Technicians and is also an IRS Enrolled Agent.
Catherine is significantly involved in delivering M&S’s extensive consultancy offerings and carries out a variety of tax planning and consultancy work on a range of UK and overseas tax issues. These clients include high net worth individuals, family companies and large corporations.
